Firebrand
by Not Particularly
Summary: Young Azula stays behind the curtain a little longer and overhears something extra. After the meeting, Fire Lord Azulon declares Ozai too bold and orders the ambitious snake's line ended. Grandfather means to kill them all! What should she do? The story of the royal family in exile. A/N inside. Beta'd partly by the lovely Pink Bead Girl
1. Behind the Curtain

A/N: the idea of Ozai, Ursa, Zuko and Azula going into hiding because Azulon wasn't going to stop with just Zuko's death, does not belong to me. "Rebecca Hb" wrote an amazing story ("Ember, Ash, and Kindling"), which inspired me to attempt to write this, with her permission. Go read it!

**2nd A/N: Funny story about mixed up accounts on my profile, link to a longer story by me there too!**

**Special thanks to the lovely Pink Bead Girl for being such an amazing beta! You rule!**

**##########**

Azula, still hiding behind the curtains, had never been happier in her entire life. Father got in trouble and was being punished by _his_ father for it. After all the times she'd gotten into trouble, it seemed like the universe was finally rewarding her long-suffering self.

Almost made her wish she could have kids already. That kind of _absolute_ _power_...

_"You dare suggest I betray Iroh, my first born? Directly after the demise of his only beloved son? I think Iroh has suffered enough. But you? Your punishment has scarcely begun!"_

Zuko had run off like the little scaredy cat-chicken he was, only to miss the best part! After a few flashy fireblasts had beaten Father to his knees, although she could tell it was more symbolic than actually painful to one such as Father, grandfather Azulon made her day.

_"You must know the pain of losing a first-born son, by sacrificing your own! _Now get out of my sight, and don't return until the deed is done!_"_

Father was going to kill Zuko! Oh, could this get any better? She quickly stepped back and ducked down as her father bowed low and left the throne room; it would not do to be seen, and now that there was no conversation to distract anyone it was too risky to look out. How long would Azulon sit there? She wished he'd just hurry up and leave already. It was getting boring and she couldn't wait to rub this in Zuzu's face!

Hopefully he wouldn't stay there as long as he sometimes did. But as the seconds dragged into minutes it seemed it would be one of those days. She should have brought a scroll or something. Grandfather really was a prodigy, he could keep his massive flames up without fuel even in his sleep. Oh please let him not be dozing off like last time! But it was so quiet, maybe a peek would be ok.

Soft footsteps halted her attempt to look out. It didnt sound like the servants... another appointment? Who could come after Father? And so late?

Azula listened intently, realising the only sounds were coming from the wrong direction. What was going on? She wanted to take a peek so badly but it didn't seem like a smart move right now. The silence was suddenly a little scary.

"Fire Lord, how may we serve you?" Muted sounds of padded knees on the smooth floor, then silence. We? There was more than one? Azulon's voice suddenly rang out, clearly but softly, so different from his earlier angry tone.

"Ozai has grown too bold. He will cross the final line and seek my death soon enough. Deal with him and his line before the week's end. He will kill his son shortly, use this if you see fit. Be gone."

Soft sounds of multiple simultaneous deep bows, then footsteps leaving through some secret passage. After a few moments of silence, Azulon sighed as if with the weight of the world and extinguished the Royal Flames. Pitch black enveloped the throne room as he left through his personal secret passage.

Azula didn't so much as breathe.


	2. Rude Awakening

**A/N: Funny story about mixed up accounts on my profile, link to a longer story by me there too!**

**##########**

Seconds, minutes, hours- it no longer mattered. Time was utterly, completely irrelevant; eternity stretched on, moment by horrifying moment, regardless.

Grandfather had ordered her death.

Only seconds ago, a lifetime ago, he had softly uttered a few words, noise on the wind, and now she would die.

Just like that.

It wasn't fair. How could things go so horribly wrong? One moment all was _right_ with the world, the next it was over. Father was going to kill Zuko and then they'd all die.

"...a_nd then..." ?_

Azula came back to herself, huddled against the wall in the smothering blackness. She realised she wasn't breathing and tried to remember how to open her mouth and suck in air. It took her far longer than it should. She caught her breath and thought things through.

Father was going to kill Zuko on Azulon's orders. _And then_ royal assassins, for who else could they be, would kill him and the rest of them, too. No doubt it would be all cunningly disguised as some sort of drunken murder-suicide or something. Perhaps they would be avenging Zuko's death. She, _Princess Azula_, young and all but helpless, would die. Nothing could survive the royal assassins.

Deep breaths. And then. Meaning _after._

The only chance was to run. If the assassins decided to wait for Zuko's death as part of their cover-up story, they might even make it. She should find Father and tell him everything. He'd know what to do.

...Just as soon as her legs started working again.

No! She was not some weakling to stay cowering on the floor! She was a Princes of the Fire Nation, and one day she would be Fire Lord! She was strong and powerful and beautiful and clever and _fully capable of moving her own damned legs!_

All at once she stood, then fell back against the wall as the room wobbled around her. She cleared her head and slowly, carefully, left the throne room. Maybe for the last time. _No_. She'd be back here soon enough. And she wouldn't sit on the ground like _dear_ _Grandfather_, raised platform or no, she'd have a throne built of gold and rubies and ebony, and she'd sit there and order _his_ death instead!

Such were Azula's thoughts as she wrestled and rallied for control and command, step by step, until sadistic revenge and childish fantasy took over and allowed her body to remember itself.

A mostly disused passageway brought her to the family wing in the palace, where she steadied her breathing and tried to act like her usual self. It was not so very hard, she'd been doing it for years. Father's study was to the left, his and Mother's quarters were to the right. Where would he go?

_What if he was off to kill Zuko first?_

The thought stopped her instantly. Not long ago she would have been, she _had_ been, thrilled at the thought. Now it revolted her. It didn't make sense but she suddenly didn't want her brother to die. She justified it quickly with half-felt defences. Zuko's death would trigger the assassins, or make it harder to move about unnoticed. Azulon wanted them all dead, so better to suffer him alive than do anything to please the bastard Fire Lord.

Actions justified, she made her way to Zuko's room in a confusion of anxiety and self-consciousness. Head held high and a slight smile on her face was how she usually walked, right? Maybe she should sort of skip a bit too or something, to emphasise, er, normality. Or something. The few servants she passed acted like they normally did, so she couldn't be too far wrong. _That, or they knew better than to stare at the peculiar behaviour of royals. _Gah_. _She never liked that particular voice. It didn't matter anyway.

Azula finally reached Zuko's room. The doors loomed so much larger than normal, and the intricate patterns carved into the frame held her gaze like never before. Odd the things she noticed now that everyone was different.

A deep breath. Another. Then she shook her head and pressed the doors open and walked in, closing them behind her. Zuko's form was motionless on the bed, but not for long. Silently he awoke and rubbed his face, to startle and glare when he saw who had woken him.

"What do you want, Azula? I'm trying to sleep here!"

His words sounded so childish, and she realised, ridiculously with a start, that he didn't know. Of course he didn't know, he'd run off. Only she knew.

_It was terrifying._

"Zuko."

He gaped stupidly at hearing his own name on her lips, then pulled his face together, determined not to embarrass himself with whatever she was planning. Strange for her to be serious like this, though.

"Zuko, after you left I heard something really bad. We need to go find Dad. Right now, okay?"

He laughed at her.

"Nice try, Azula. Dad doesn't like interruptions at night, I haven't forgotten _last time._"

_She had_. It had just been so funny. Azula wasn't smiling now, though. This was far too serious. She grabbed his wrist and pulled him out of bed, ignoring his protestations.

"I mean it, Zuko. This is important. Really, really important. Come on. _Please_."

Zuko stopped struggling to free himself from her grip. He couldn't remember her saying _please_ to him for a very long time. And actually meaning it? _Never_. Azula's eyes were solemn and deadly serious. Mutely, he nodded, and followed after her as she tugged him out of his room.

_Finally_.

Now to find Father.


	3. Following the Leader

**A/N: Funny story about mixed up accounts on my profile, link to a longer story by me there too!**

**##########**

Azula glanced back to make sure Zuko wasn't going to try and run off, and then crashed into something. If she hadn't been so tense she might have fallen flat on her back, but her training kicked in and she fell smoothly into a firebending stance, ready to take on whatever there was. Then Mother's soft words washed over her and she'd never felt so glad to hear them.

"Azula! What are you doing, aiming at me like that? You should be in bed! And Zuko, what are you doing up? You're the older brother, you should know better."

Zuko stepped closer and began to explain, no doubt blaming her for everything, but Azula couldn't let that happen so she interrupted him.

"Mom, I need to tell Dad something right away. It's really, really, _really_ important and we all have to be there and it has to be right now so please please _please_ can you come with us? _Right now?"_

Ursa stared down at her breathless, earnest daughter and for once didn't detect a shred of deception or trickery of any sort. Azula must think whatever she had to say was incredibly important.

_And Azula was a prodigy._ Cruel or not.

Her mother knelt down to look her in the eye.

"This is that important, Azula?"

Azula nodded faster than ever.

Zuko looked back and forth between his mother and sister as they studied each other's eyes, wondering what in the blazes was going on.

Mother gave a small nod, and the strange moment passed.

"Alright then. Your father should be in his study. Follow me."

Ursa stood up, graceful as ever, and walked quickly but quietly down the corridor. Azula grabbed her brother's abused wrist once more and pulled him after her, following Mother as fast as her little legs could take her without breaking into a run.

Seconds of silence stretched on as they moved through darkened halls. Azula's serious and anxious mood seemed to seep through them all and twisted the familiar walls into frightening, alien things. Ursa picked up on the tension and held up a handful of warm fire before her, lighting their path and their hearts as she hadn't done since they were even smaller. Her soft smile was even better.

Mother was here, pushing the dark away with fire at her hand, so nothing would touch them. Emotionally it was as soothing as nothing else could be, and intellectually they knew she was amongst the best firebenders in the world. One didn't marry into the Royal Family simply by having beauty or political importance; there were less than a dozen firebenders alive who could best her in terms of skill, and only a handful in raw power.

Azula suddenly felt glad to have her for a mother.

_So strange_. She'd never felt that way before.

Then they arrived. Flanked by two Imperial Firebenders, the doors to Ozai's study were made of dark metal and were covered with twisting with dragons and flame designs, and more importantly they lacked any mundane way to open them. Ursa pressed her hand against the gaping mouth of the largest dragon and sent red flashing through it, triggering the secret mechanism that opened the doors wide.

They entered and Ursa closed the doors with another burst of fire. The children, never having actually been inside, goggled at their father's massive study. It was incredible!

The far wall was entirely covered with one gigantic world map, with sections showing the Northern Water Tribe City, Ba Sing Se and such like, enlarged. Writings and notes surrounded hundreds of portraits hanging on the next wall, with some politicians and generals that they recognised from around the Palace, but most were strangers and obviously _not_ Fire Nation.

The other two walls were completely covered by scrolls stored neatly away in cases that rivalled the library's, from floor to ceiling. There must have been thousands! But what caught their eye was the doorway they knew led to Father's personal training room. Long ago he had promised them he would give them personal lessons in there once they reached a high enough level of firebending. Neither knew which level he meant, but it had been all the motivation they needed to train that much harder.

Azula's smile faded as she realised this dream might never be realised.

_It wasn't fair._

Ursa had smiled at her children's expressions, but now frowned when Azula's face fell. It must be devastating news to have such a visibly frightening effect on her.

Finally, the children realised their father was in the middle of the room, staring straight at them with something approaching a frown on his face. They gave a small _apologies for the interruption but this might be worth it_ bow. Azula stepped forward, surprising him, and looked down slightly, waiting for permission to speak.

Ozai looked down at his motionless daughter, his obviously confused son, then looked up to his wife with what she alone knew was a questioning glance. She replied with a slight, casual hand gesture they had agreed years ago would mean 'this might be important'. He nodded after several long seconds.

"Azula. What brings you to my study at such a late hour?"

The young girl took a deep breath, and looked up enough to stare at his chest, afraid to meet her father's eyes.

"Forgive me, Father. After we left the meeting with Fire Lord Azulon, I stayed back and hid behind the curtain." She risked a peek up at his eyes and found them harder than steel. She gulped and continued over Mother's gasp and Father's silence.

"After you left I tried to get away but it was too quiet to risk it and then I heard footsteps, so I stayed still." Azula didn't know why she was rambling on instead of getting to the point! She was just getting herself deeper into trouble. She quickly moved on.

"I didn't see them, but I heard what he said to them, and it's really bad." She swallowed once more, trying to moisten her dry mouth. It didn't work. She tried to say the rest but nothing came out. She cleared her throat twice and still nothing.

Ozai seemed to understand her difficulty, and now reassured that it wasn't about what Azulon had ordered him to do to Zuko, he was incredibly anxious to hear what she had heard. He stepped around his desk, sank to his knees before her and spoke in his softest, kindest tone.

"What did you hear, Azula? I promise you will not be punished. It's alright, just say exactly what you heard. I know you can do this, just like your lessons."

She nodded, caught, and bent her voice to her will once more.

"They asked him how they might serve him, and then he said: _Ozai has grown too bold. He will cross the final line and seek my death soon enough. Deal with him and his line before the week's end. He will_," she paused her imitation here and shot a glance at Zuko before skipping a couple of words, it wouldn't help anything. And by Father's look he had caught on anyway. "..._use this if you see fit. Be gone_. And then they left, and then he left, and I don't want to die!"

Azula valiantly held back tears but some dry sobs escaped her. Not a second later she felt her mother's arms wrap around her and for the first time in far too long, she hugged her mother back. Zuko, not be be left out and frankly more than just a little scared, joined them and claimed the other side of his mother's neck.

Ozai watched for several seconds, knowing this moment would strengthen his still young children for the long night ahead. To think things had come to this. But now they needed to move.

"Azula, you have been brave and wise to bring this to my attention. You and your brother will have to be even braver tonight. Listen to every word your mother and I say, and obey instantly, without question. Understood?"

Now calmed by their mother, they nodded.

_Good_.

"If you do exactly as we say, we will make it through this. This is not the first time this has happened in Fire Nation history, and it is not entirely unexpected. Now. Zuko, go with your mother and help her fetch some things we will need."

The elder Prince shared a look with his wife. She knew what to do.

"Azula, you will stay and help me prepare things here."

Ozai watched his children nod with steely expressions. They would do whatever he asked of them, and he would have to ask much of them before long. He laid his hands on their shoulders and gave a firm squeeze. He might not like it but emotions were still very powerful influences on their hearts, and until they learned to guard against them properly he would just have to strengthen the ones they could harness.

He would begin to train them in this as soon as possible.

Ursa required no such help, but he stood and held her a moment anyway. She stiffened at first, but then melted against him and embraced him like she used to. It felt better than he remembered. Why had he stopped? He couldn't remember.

They pulled back, they stepped apart, and he whispered for her to go.

Ursa nodded with a small smile, and took Zuko's hand.


	4. Mom's the Word

Azula watched her mother and brother disappear through the door leading to the training room, and had to bite her lip to keep from speaking. Surely there was a reason they went through there?

Ozai saw her expression and guessed her thoughts.

"There is a passageway connecting the training room to my chambers. Fear not, you will see it soon enough. Now."

He turned to face her directly, seeming to grow taller to her young eyes.

"I might have done what Grandfather suggested, if I could not turn the situation to my advantage otherwise. I was planning on discussing the options with your mother, but now there are no others. Your brother is weak, and the sacrifice would not have been too great to pay. But the situation is different now." His tone changed, not softer, but different somehow.

"We four are now the only ones we can depend on, all others are or will be turned against us. While Zuko is still weak, he can be useful, and time and training will make him stronger. Not strong enough to be Fire Lord one day, perhaps, but that future is no longer certain. We may never regain our rightful place, and if, and it is only an if, we do return, it will be under difficult circumstances."

He paused to let that sink in, before continuing.

"We will need to work together, Azula. Our chances for survival are better together. We will go from having the entire Fire Nation ready to serve us, to all alone and having the entire world baying for our blood. Four firebenders are better than three, no matter how weak the fourth. You are strong and this will strengthen you, it might do the same for Zuko, with our help. And we will give him our help, daughter, that he may grow stronger and be better able to help us in return. We will survive this better if we work together."

He paused once more, this time for effect.

"Besides this, he will be your only sparring partner and companion for some time. Possibly years, even decades. Do you understand, Azula?"

"Yes, Father."

And she did. Where once her brother was weak and useless, now he was all she had in the world, besides her parents. Who themselves had no one except the two of them. It was _terrifying_.

Ozai nodded.

"It was wise of you to keep this from your mother and brother. It would also be wise to keep it from them still, until we are clear of danger and emotional outbursts won't jeopardise us."

Something subtle about his face added more without words; _don't tell your mother and don't tell Zuko, lest I show you __exactly__ how _unwise_ that might be._

"Of course, Father."

"Good. Now. See those portraits on the wall? I want you to take them down in order by column, from left to right, along with all notes related to them. Pack them neatly and in that order."

He retrieved several rectangular cases that were perfectly sized for the portraits, then turned to his desk and got out everything he would need to write several letters.

"Don't bother reading the notes, you will have time enough for that later, and likely nothing better to do for some time. Get started, Azula."

She jumped with no small amount of surprise and immediately began doing as he said, even if she needed to stand on a chest to reach the highest ones. It quickly became apparent to her that the portraits were of every single person of political or military importance in the entire world. There were far more notes for those in the Fire Narion, and the people included went further down the chain of command; something to be said for convenience. But there was still a massive amount of information about almost all Earth Kingdom portraits, even if a couple had blank faces to be filled in later. And somehow there were even a couple dozen Water Tribe faces, too.

Azula took in not so much specific information, but the types of knowledge Father had apparently sought. Some were straightforward, others had every personal preference down to favourite blends of tea and preferred sexual acts.

Time seemed to fly by as she carefully packed away portrait after portrait, her mind racing with the possibilities of having so much information, and at the same time oddly detached. It didn't feel real yet.

Packing finished, she turned to find her father finished with his letters and currently picking scrolls from the thousands lined up. He chose precisely, seeming to know exactly what he did and did not want. She noticed some of them had the same design on the end as her scrolls on bending, but instead of just red these were green, and then blue, and then red. Scrolls on all the bending arts?

"I am finished, Father."

He didn't turned to look, trusting her word, and kept picking out scrolls.

"Good. Now go to the desk and write letters to your friends or classmates, people you might ordinarily write a letter to. Tell them you are going away for with us to Ember Island for a holiday. Write it as like yourself as possible, add references to things easily cross-referenced. If you have some code amongst yourselves, don't say anything of what has happened here. They will be questioned."

Azula nodded, feeling uneasy at what Father _hadn't_ said, hadn't needed to say. They would be tortured for knowledge if they were suspected of having any. She would not endanger her friends, they were not for others to hurt, so they would have to remain ignorant.

Father's chair was comfortable but the dest was too high for her, so she knelt on the cushioned chair and wrote of a forced vacation to Ember Island. Their shared code of extra accents on characters was not used even once. That would be all the clue they would get. That, and the promise to see them again as soon as she got back. A little more clingy than usual perhaps, but not by much. Hopefully.

Strange how much she suddenly missed Mai's quiet presence, and Ty Lee's laugh.

Her two short letters seemed woefully inadequate compared to the Father's large stack, but there was no one else. Strange how it made her feel like crying. Everything was so strange.

"Finished, Father."

Ozai was still picking at the scrolls, and apparently debating with himself over which last few to take. He made up his mind and picked one before turning once more to his daughter.

"Good. Take all the letters down ahead and give them to your mother when she arrives, then listen to her."

He turned back to the scrolls as she took the letters and rushed on ahead. The door was still open from when Mother and Zuko went through earlier, and beyond it lay a spiralling staircase that led straight down to a huge cavern filled with scorched target dummies. It took longer than it should for her to realise the area was lit not just by torchlight but also by glowing crystals that dotted the high ceiling, the first she had ever seen.

Mother and Zuko, once again in his best clothes, were standing off to one side near a pile of cooling ashes large enough to have once been a person. Azula knew it wasn't that though, burnt flesh had a certain texture to it. To say nothing of the smell. Some more documents?

"Mom, I have some letters Dad said to give you."

Ursa smiled. Azula was taking this so well. Such a brave girl.

"Very good, Azula. Zuko, finish that and go help your father."

Zuko nodded and scattered the ashes across the floor with a determined fire blast. When he was sure no trace of the papers remained, he raced up the stairs to go help Father. He'd never been able to help with anything before; even as unsure as he was, it was still exciting.

Ursa watched her energetic son run off with a smile on his face, and shook her head. That boy would lose that smile all to soon. She turned back to her daughter and held out a small parcel.

"Azula, take this and hide it in your clothes. If all goes well you won't need it, but open it if we get separated. It contains some currency, jewellery, passports, a few maps and a small knife. Just in case."

Azula nodded and put the slim parcel in her largest inner full extent of everything that had happened was suddenly even more overwhelming. Her breathing got a little faster.

Her mother noticed and sank to her knees to embrace her once more. The boys entered unnoticed and set down their crates of scrolls before heading back up the stairs, Zuko's enthusiasm depleted after carrying less than half the weight his father so easily managed.

Ursa held her daughter closer still.

"It will be alright. Your father is clever and strong, you and your brother are clever and strong, and I am here. No matter what, I won't let anything happen to you."

They pulled back a little and looked each other in the eye. Ursa brought a warm hand to her daughter's cheek and gave her a small, warm smile. Azula smiled back just as warmly, if a little watery.

"Now there is something I need you to do, okay?"

Azula nodded, and wiped her eyes with her sleeves.


	5. Spice, and All Things Nice

Azula stopped walking abruptly, bringing her mother to a halt beside her by an incredulous tug on her hand.

"_Spice? _Why do we need-"

Stricken, Azula fell silent. They had promised to follow their parents without question. How could she forget so soon?

Ursa smiled gently and patted her daughter's head, much to her embarrassment. Azula was too severe sometimes; there would be plenty of time for that later, but for now it was the calm before the storm. They could afford to be a little indulgent at the moment. She playfully tugged back and started walking again.

"Why would we bring spices with us when we are fleeing for our lives? It is simple, really. Spices can be incredibly valuable, more so than jewellery in many cases, and are even lighter and more easily carried. They will be expensive in the Colonies thanks to the costs of transport, taxes, and regulations preventing growth beyond our borders. And to the Earth Kingdom they will be incredibly rare, and so more valuable still. They are also not so unique as pieces of jewellery, which can lead to a more obvious trail, and are consumed which further hides any trail and means more must be purchased.

"And you can't grow gold or jewels, but with a small case of seeds we can grow and sell enough spices to live as we please. With far less effort and time than anything else we might try, especially with some Fire Nation ingenuity."

Ursa turned to better see the look on her daughter's face.

"So, daughter, would you rather carry around great chests of gold for all to see, too much jewellery to be worn by a hundred women, or a pocket of assorted spices worth ten times more?"

Azula didn't answer for a moment, too lost in daydreams of building up wealth and power to rival the Fire Nation before returning to take the throne and rule over kingdoms. The Earth Kingdom was so large and so divided, it seemed perfectly reasonable to simply carve out their own corner and wait until Azulon, and perhaps Iroh, dropped dead.

Suddenly this exile seemed so very exciting. And profitable. Wealth was another means of power, after all.

"I'd rather carry a _chest_ full of them!"

Laughing softly, Ursa nodded.

"Of course, we will be taking several, already packed back in the training room. But we must be careful. Azulon's assassins will be looking for us, and even if they weren't, wealth draws attention. Especially when acquired suddenly, let alone through Fire Nation spices. We must be cautious in all things now, Azula. But here we are."

The passageway ended suddenly around the last corner and turned into a spiralling staircase leading up. The two princesses quiet ended their steps and climbed up, elder leading younger. Another firelock opened to Ursa's flame and the large bedroom was opened to them. They closed the door behind them and left the room, walking the halls like they owned them. Maybe for the last time.

The royal spice garden, one of Ursa's hobbies, was just up ahead. Azula had always thought it ridiculous; a Princess of the Fire Nation, sullying her hands with dirt and weeds? It now seemed ridiculous not to.

"Now remember Azula, we are just going to collect a few seeds from those plants that do not grow well from dried seeds. For your own private garden, if we are caught. I will harvest the seeds, and you will keep watch. Understood?"

Another nod.

They turned the corner and hid their flinches when no less than a dozen guards were standing at attention right in the middle of the garden.

Ursa had not been princess all these years for nothing.

_"What is this?"_

Soft words and softer tone did nothing to hide the cold steel sliding through them; a harder than usual pause and a sibilant sound held just that moment too long pierced and sliced through them. Gentle eyes reflected torchlight tenfold to their minds and the cool night definitely warmed.

The leader cleared his throat and gave a small bow before speaking.

"Lady Ursa, forgive us but we have received warning of a possible assassin within the Palace grounds. Your garden is one of the closest open-"

Ursa's small hand gesture cut him off. Azula marvelled at how like Father she could be. So commanding.

"Very well. Come then, Azula. We had best do this a little more quickly. Though I am sure these... _fine_ guards won't let anything happen to us."

The pair strode in amongst the guards as if they weren't there, and turned to the first plant. Ursa ran her hands through the branches to better showcase them, and not so obviously pick many of the small red- whatever they were.

"Dragon's Tongue, named for its intense heat and curious flat double curved shape. Note the small size of the plant compared to its large crop."

They quickly moved to the next.

"Dragon Scales, named for the textured bark that it is prized for. The small leaves are poisonous enough to kill most men, though not quickly. The effects take several days to become lethal, and are not pleasant. The bark though is stripped and torn into small scale-like pieces and is used in the best fire-flake recipes."

Azula followed her mother around the garden for her impromptu lesson. Dragon Fangs, white with red tips, deadly if prepared incorrectly. Fire Fruit, tiny round red shapes that contained flammable oils used in almost everything. Agni's Breath, bright red bushes with leaves that induced constant firebending breath in any with a shred of power.

On it went, all having similar fire themed names. Many of the plants were quite deadly, in some fashion or other. This root was instant death, that sap caused excruciating pain, this leaf could be heated to produce paralytic vapours, don't touch that branch, its tiny hairs will stab into your skin and make your flesh swell and peel off to the bone within days unless you burn them out first.

Azula resolved three things in that garden. One, to never become her mother's enemy. Two, to never touch another plant ever again unless she knew it was safe. And three, to learn all about botany.

It sounded like fun.

But there wasn't any time for that now.

Finishing the lesson, Ursa left the courtyard with her hidden treasures and walked calmly back inside without another word to the cowed guards. They'd ask her permission next time they wanted to enter her garden. Not that she'd be there to ask. Still. Azula fought and beat the urge to pull a face at them as she followed after.

They were just too funny! When she had guards, they'd be strong and clever. Otherwise what was the point? The strongest fool in the world was no match for anyone with any measure of cunning. When she grew up, she'd become the strongest and the cunning-est! Cunningiest? Most cunning!

The princesses walked swiftly back the way they came, Azula all but skipping to keep up with her mother's longer strides. They were almost there when a shadow detached itself from the wall and stepped into their path. It was a woman, clad in dark clothes and false smile.

"_Ursa_, out for a night stroll with your _lovely_ daughter?"

Azula bristled at the informal address. How _dare_ she- Mother was the highest Princess and now wife to the second heir! But Mother wasn't reacting...

"_Iza_. It has been some time since last we met."

Her voice was colder than anything Azula had ever heard. Who was this woman? 'Iza' smiled wider.

"Indeed it has. But you didn't answer my questio-"

Iza's hand blurred and a thin metal spike suddenly appeared there, caught in her hand before it got a chance to pierce her throat. She _tsked_ and dropped it to the ground.

"-n. Now, now, Ursa, we don't interrupt others when they are speaking. It's bad ma-"

Her hand blurred again as another spike was flung and caught, this one in aimed at her head. Azula hadn't even seen her mother move, let alone throw. And with her hand now in front of her face, neither did Iza see the fireball that took her life.

The woman fell back with a thud as her head cracked on the hard ground, lips and nose burnt and melted into an unrecognisable mess that prevented any scream, and any last breath.

Ursa calmly picked up her two spikes, secreted them away somewhere in her sleeves, and casually burnt the rest of Iza's face beyond recognition with another fireball and a mutter sounding suspiciously like "witch". Finished, she turned to her shocked daughter.

"Never use a block that cover's your eyes unless absolutely necessary. Now run ahead to your father, and tell him what has happened. I'll deal with this."

Azula had never been so glad to run.


	6. Packed and Ready

_Did that just happen? It _can't_ have happened. It didn't make _sense_. Mother was soft and gentle and not weak but certainly not so ruthless as to- it didn't make any sense._

Azula's thoughts were still scrambling as she raced into her parents chambers and down the secret stairway. The training room was empty so she raced up the other stairway in search of her father. Father would know what was going on. He always knew.

She finally reached the top of the stairs and leapt through the doorway. Zuko was bending down to pick up the last crate while Father held two with his left hand and looking amused at his son's efforts to look nonchalant about the weight. They both turned to take in her breathless entrance.

"Woman-" _pant_ "dead" _wheeze_ "Iza" _gasp_ "Mother!" _another gasp._

"Calm down. Breathe and be still. That's it. Now. What happened?"

Father's smooth voice washed everything bad away and let her breathe properly.

"There were guards in the garden, said there was warning of an assassin. Then when we left a woman stepped in front of us. Mom- Mother called her 'Iza' and threw knife-things at her and burnt her face when she caught them and it was so fast! and she sent me to tell you."

Ozai's face betrayed no reaction. He simply nodded, turned, and set the remaining thousands of scrolls on fire. Then the world map and his desk, at the same time with one flick of his wrist. He gestured for them to go down the stairs, and followed after them.

"This changes things. We must move a little more quickly. Iza was one of Azulon's assassins, she became one after being considered and passed over to be my wife. She has long loathed your mother. She may have been acting without orders, but even so they will notice her disappearance at dawn. We must be gone before then.

"When I tell you so, you will stay absolutely silent unless necessary. You will obey every instruction without hesitation, without so much as a thought. We are now one step from absolute flight, which I would greatly prefer to avoid. However, if I give the command, you will drop everything and run. We are following a tunnel to the military docks. If possible, I will assume command of a ship, and you will act as your royal selves. If not, then we will stow away, and you will not so much as breathe loudly until I let you.

"Our lives and the future of our Nation depend on this. Understood?"

They chorused in reply.

"Yes Father."

Only rarely had it ever been required of them to be so deadly obedient, but they were trained for it. They were Prince and Princess of the Fire Nation, now third and fourth in line to the throne. The children knew how to act in situations like this.

Ozai, Zuko and Azula reached the training room to find it lacking their mother. Neither sibling spoke their worried thoughts, but they exchanged glances. What was keeping her?

Father strode across the room and dumped his crates with the others, Zuko following his lead before backing up to join his sister, out of Father's way. Ozai nodded and placed his hand in the middle of one particular scorch mark on the wall. Fire flashed through the hidden lock and the solid rock tilted down on metal hinges, revealing a long downwards sloping tunnel lit with more glowing crystals and a large metal machine with... wheels? One of the mechanised cargo transports?

"Help me load the crates in."

The siblings nodded and moved forward into the hidden tunnel. Ozai lifted one of the larger chests and carried it after them. The back of the machine opened to reveal a large space filled with many chests already. They climbed in, turning to pull the new chest as Ozai pushed it in so that it could be stored away with the others. This continued until everything was stored in the middle with room to hide all four of them at the back if it became necessary.

Still Ursa had not returned.

Minutes passed in silence as they waited. Ozai found himself slightly anxious and so relented to his children's questioning and described and explained how the steam-driven cart operated. It was one designed for moving cargo in and out of the larger battleships, so no coal and no smoke. That would quickly suffocate all in the area. Instead it was powered purely by firebending through a specially designed steam engine.

By the time Ursa arrived they were discussing the pros and cons of mass produced body armour and had theorised a steam-propelled spearhead, carrying blasting jelly inside it to better destroy fortifications, the latter being Zuko's idea. Ozai reconsidered his opinion of his son; perhaps he hadn't given the boy enough credit. Creativity and inventiveness could go a long way in making up for lack of personal power. And this exile would change him, harden him. Maybe even strengthen him.

He would make sure it did.

It would be... nice to have his first born son become strong enough to follow him properly. But he would settle for more useful.

The man felt more relief than he thought he should when his wife finally returned, safe and whole. Zuko and Azula rushed to her, though they stopped short of jumping on her until she knelt, opened her arms and invited them.

"What kept you?"

Ursa looked up to her husband and kept her arms wrapped around her children as she answered.

"There were guards extra guards at every message centre. It took longer than I had hoped but I managed to remain unseen and leave no trace."

Ozai nodded with a slight smile. He wondered how many she had killed to do so; it could be many or none at all. But it no longer mattered.

"It's time to go. Azula, hide in the back with your mother. Zuko, come stay up the front with me. There are usually two drivers so do try to sit up. Make no sound that could be heard over the engine. No matter what. Understood?"

The two siblings nodded and moved to obey, without so much as a hint of hesitation.

They would have given anything in the world to swap places with each other, and the confirmation of that knowledge with a shared glance did nothing to make them feel better.

Zuko would spend time with his stern, distant, disappointed father. Azula, just as unhappily, with her mother and the newly revealed knowledge that Ursa was as lethal as she was gentle.

Ozai sent another blast of fire, and the door closed behind them with a final thud.


End file.
